Rain gutters which protrude from the roofline of house roofs are subject to damage when ladders are placed against them, particularly when workmen climb up and down the ladders carrying heavy loads. In particular, the gutters are distorted in shape and/or squeezed together so that they no longer function as effectively or efficiently as intended. In some cases joints between sections of gutters may be broken so that the gutters leak and it is even possible in extreme cases for the gutters themselves to leak, particularly if left in their distorted position because paint and other protective coating tends to be cracked or broken off, leaving bare metal exposed to corrosion, such as rust, which may leak through the sheet-metal leaving a hole.
Even if the gutters are still functioning, the damage to the gutters destroys their appearance and disrupts the smooth lines of the house at roof level.
As a result of these problems various solutions have been proposed. One of the solutions is to provide extensions transverse to the ladder which may be bolted to the ladder temporarily when it is to be used with a roof having a protruding gutter. The extensions are designed to rest against the shingles of the roof, thus keeping the ladders spaced away from the gutter itself. The disadvantage of devices of this sort occurs because the individual pieces have to be carefully attached to the ladder sides and must be moved in some cases when the height of the roof changes. Some workers are uncomfortable with a ladder spaced away from a roof by extensions. Extensions themselves may do damage to certain types of shingles. The pre-attachment of the extension may also make it difficult to place the ladder both against the roof and on the ground particularly where the ground is suitable for supporting the ladder only in limited locations.